Denver, CO

Rockies crumble late, lose second game of series to Mets following Victor Vodnik’s messy ninth inning

Published

2 years ago

August 8, 2024

Rockies crumble late, lose second game of series to Mets following Victor Vodnik’s messy ninth inning

After Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner lasted just one inning on Wednesday, the Rockies bullpen picked him up in a performance that was superb — until the final moment.

The Colorado relievers held the Mets in check for most of the second game of the series, but rookie right-hander Victor Vodnik wilted in the ninth, yielding three decisive runs in a 5-3 defeat at Coors Field.

“The bullpen pitched well until the ninth, and pitched well (Tuesday in a 6-3 win),” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “When you go to the bullpen so early, in this case, we used six relievers. To win this game, they all would’ve had to pitch well. We got really close, but we didn’t get it done. We had a couple opportunities offensively too, and we didn’t capitalize.”

In the opening frame, Feltner wasn’t sharp as the Mets dinged him for a run. Francisco Lindor led off with a single, then stole second. That continued a troubling trend for Feltner’s slow delivery with men on base, as the pitcher has given up more steals than any pitcher in the National League.

With two outs, Pete Alonso then singled Lindor home, and Alonso stole second before Feltner got Jeff McNeil to pop out to end the threat.

Feltner was pulled from the game due to a shoulder/upper lat issue and will likely go on the injured list, according to Black.

“I was a little more sore than normal after my last start,” Feltner said. “I thought it would go away, thought it would get a little better, but I felt it again tonight. Lat soreness. I wanted to try to (push through), but it was one of those things where it was getting worse, and I didn’t want to make it worse than worse. It was tightening up on me.”

The Rockies quickly squared the game in the bottom of the first inning, using Ezequiel Tovar’s solo homer off Paul Blackburn to make it 1-1. Tovar’s 434-foot homer to center careened off the top of the Bridich Barrier and into the New York bullpen for the shortstop’s 19th dinger of the year. It was Tovar’s fourth homer over his last seven games at home.

The visitors retook the lead in the second off long-man Noah Davis. Tyrone Taylor’s single scored ex-Rockie José Iglesias, who stopped around third, then started again, when Brenton Doyle bobbled the ball in center field on a play that was ruled an error.

Both pitchers settled in a bit after that, before Colorado tied the game 2-2 in the fourth on an infield single by Kris Bryant. That scored Brendan Rodgers, who led off with double.

And there the game would stay until the final inning, as both pitching staffs settled in.

Blackburn finished with two runs over six innings for the Mets, striking out six Rockies, while Davis was effective with three scoreless innings following the second. Recent addition Chasen Shreve threw a scoreless sixth in his Colorado debut, Angel Chivilli put up a zero in the seventh and Tyler Kinley did the same in the eighth.

“I flipped back into starter mode, which is something I’m comfortable with,” Davis said. “I got in and attacked the zone, didn’t try to do too much, and got some quick outs to get us deeper into the game.”

Meanwhile, the Mets bullpen was also effective as right-hander José Butto blanked the Rockies in the seventh and eighth.

But the pitching duel came unglued for Colorado in the ninth.

In that frame, Francisco Alvarez hit a one-out triple on a 3-0 count off Vodnik off the out-of-town scoreboard in right field and Ben Gamel followed with a walk. That prompted a “Let’s Go Mets” chant from the blue-and-orange faithful on hand, and Vodnik responded with another walk, this time to Taylor.

That brought New York’s leadoff man and all-star shortstop to the dish, and Lindor delivered with a two-RBI, opposite-field single on the first pitch he saw to make it 4-2. Jesse Winker followed with another hit, pushing the score to 5-2 and earning Vodnik the hook.

“It’s one of those (outings) that I’ve just got to let go,” Vodnik said. “I was trying to be a little too fine tonight and got behind in counts that I should’ve been ahead of, and I let it get away from me.”

Michael Toglia led off the ninth with a triple off Edwin Diaz, that like Alvarez’s hit ricocheted off the out-of-town scoreboard. But it was too late for a comeback, even after Jake Cave’s RBI groundout cut the deficit to two.

The Mets tallied their 17th last at-bat win of the season, tied with the Dodgers for the most such wins in the majors.

Thursday’s pitching matchup

Mets LHP David Peterson (5-1, 3.47 ERA) at Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (3-6, 4.66)

1:10 p.m. Thursday, Coors Field

TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM

In a showdown between southpaws, Peterson returns home. The Regis Jesuit alum is submitting another solid season, bouncing back from the 5.03 ERA he posted last year. In two starts against the Rockies, he is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA, but has never pitched at Coors Field. He’s coming off a quality start against the Angels, with two earned runs in six innings, an outing in which he induced 13 groundball outs. Current Rockies haven’t seen much of him, although Elias Diaz and Ryan McMahon both have homers off him. For Gomber, his performance has been hit-and-miss lately. But in his last outing, he looked solid, throwing seven innings of two-run ball against the Padres. The blemishes in that performance were a pair of solo homers. He’s been a good pitcher in LoDo this year, with a 3.83 ERA in nine starts compared to a 5.37 ERA in 12 starts on the road.

Pitching probables

Friday: Braves RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (4-5, 4.04) at Rockies TBA, 6:40 p.m.

Saturday: Braves LHP Max Fried (7-6, 3.40) at Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (7-8, 4.56), 6:10 p.m.

Sunday: Braves TBA at Rockies TBA, 1:10 p.m.

Originally Published: August 7, 2024 at 9:40 p.m.

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Denver, CO

Link on Demand offers free rideshare service around communities south of Denver

Published

10 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

Link on Demand offers free rideshare service around communities south of Denver

People in many cities south of Denver now have a new ride option to get them around for free.

The Link on Demand rideshare service will travel around areas including Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, and select areas of Parker. Many popular areas include:

Town Center, Village Center, and Highlands Ranch Senior Center in Highlands Ranch
Park Meadows Retail Resort, Lone Tree Rec Center, and Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree
Parker AdventHealth Hospital, Downtown and Parker Senior Center, and Twenty Mile/Dransfeldt Shopping Center in Parker
Littleton Mineral Station
Safeway Transfer Hub
Lincoln Station Transfer Hub
Parker RTD Ride and Share

A map shows different areas in Douglas County served by Link on Demand, a free ride-share service.

Link on Demand

Booking Link on Demand is similar to booking an Uber or Lyft. It starts by downloading the Link on Demand app. Then you book the ride and meet up with your driver. The only difference; this ride is free all the time.

Link on Demand is designed to increase mobility, reduce barriers, and support daily travel needs. It helps people who don’t own a car or older adults who can’t drive, for example. The vehicles are ADA-accessible too, so they help people who use wheelchairs and walkers.

Anyone over the age of 13 can ride the service, so this helps if your child misses the bus or needs a ride. This service does operate corner to corner instead of door to door. This means you might have to travel a short distance to your pickup point. Your phone will show you the availability.

This is a Monday through Saturday rideshare service. The hours of operation include:

Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. through 7 p.m.
Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Highlands Ranch and Parker are non-adjacent zones, so you’ll book a two‑leg trip via a Transfer Hub. Here’s how:

1. In the Link On Demand app, book your first on‑demand ride:

From Highlands Ranch to Lincoln Station Transfer Hub or Safeway Transfer Hub, or
From Parker to Lincoln Station Transfer Hub or Safeway Transfer Hub.

2. Ride to the Transfer Hub.

3. After you’re dropped off at the Transfer Hub, open the app and request your second on‑demand ride, from the Transfer Hub to your final destination in the other zone.

4. Wait at the Transfer Hub until your next van arrives. Typical wait times are 15-30 minutes.

If you have any questions, all information can be found here.

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Denver, CO

Montel Williams’ national tour on school safety kicks off in Denver

Published

22 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

Montel Williams’ national tour on school safety kicks off in Denver

DENVER (KDVR) — Many remember Montel Williams as the Emmy-winning daytime talk show host from the 90s. Now, he’s on a tour leading discussions about school safety and the first stop is Denver.

On Thursday, Williams will host a free public forum and open discussion as part of a national tour for his “The Only Way Out is Through” project.

Williams has tackled dozens of important topics over the years, including school safety, for decades.

Williams sat down with FOX31 on Wednesday. He said it’s time to get serious about preventing school shootings.

“It’s time for us to get ahead of this, to be proactive. I hate to use an old cliché phrase, but it takes a whole village to raise a child. Well, it takes an entire community to keep a child safe. And unless the community recognizes their role in keeping that child safe. You know, there’s no telling where this is going to end,” said Williams.

Williams then described how he thought about his grandson’s safety during a recent visit to his school.

“And when I walked up to that school, I’m going to tell you something. Knowing that I was doing this this week, it struck me viscerally and emotionally,” said Williams. “I hate to say it this way. I’m in my last quarter. You know what I mean? I’m at that age where, you know, I’m in the last quarter, and I still have an opportunity to hit a home run in the last second of this game. The home run I want to hit is making sure that my grandson is safe.”

The free public forum will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Shorter Community AME, 3100 Richard Allen Court in Denver.

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Denver, CO

Water prices increase for outdoor use in Denver due to drought conditions

Published

1 day ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Water prices increase for outdoor use in Denver due to drought conditions

DENVER (KDVR) — Those who use outdoor water in Denver may have higher bills through the rest of the outdoor watering season as temporary drought prices will be implemented by Denver Water due to severe drought conditions.

Denver Water said that the Denver Board of Water Commissioners approved temporary drought pricing Wednesday morning, to begin in May and be seen on bills for June through next April, or until the board takes further action.

This means there will be an additional “drought charge” for outdoor water use only on top of the price increases for 2026 Denver Water announced last fall. All outdoor water use in Denver and some other metro area cities like Aurora and Arvada will be subject to mandatory restrictions due to Stage 1 drought declarations.

What Denver water prices will look like amid 2026 drought

Water rates per 1,000 gallons are different for three different service areas, each with three tiers: the first being for regular indoor household water use for things like bathing and drinking (less than 5,000 gallons per month), the second for “efficient outdoor water use” (Up to 15,000 gallons), and the third for additional water use over 15,000 gallons.

The drought pricing adds $1.10 per 1,000 gallons in tier two and $2.20 per 1,000 gallons in tier three.

The tier 1 rate for Denver proper was $2.90 in 2025 and is $3.02 for 2026, and that price will not be impacted by the drought pricing, nor will the monthly fixed charge, which increased by $1.85 for a total of $20.91 each month in 2026 for 95% of customers.

Denver Water CEO Alan Salazar said this is the first time the company has used drought pricing since the drought from 2002 to 2004. He said the historic low snowpacks and potential lack of runoff could make this year even worse than those years.

“Implementing temporary drought pricing is not a step we take lightly. It is one of many tools Denver Water has available — when needed — to respond to drought conditions, encourage customers to conserve our water supply, and ensure our ongoing ability to operate and maintain the system that delivers clean, safe water to 1.5 million people,” said Alan Salazar, Denver Water’s CEO/Manager.

How snowpacks, reservoirs are looking

Despite recent storms, a history-making warm and dry winter in Colorado has snowpack levels at an all-time low. Denver Water said the snowpack for its water collection system is at the lowest level seen in 40 years.

As of Tuesday, the Colorado River Basin was at 26% of average snow-water equivalent for this time, and the South Platte River Basin was at 34% of average, which is based on median levels from 1991-2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Denver Water said reservoirs are below average but in “reasonably good shape for the time being” at 80% full versus the average of 85% for this time of the year. Runoff may not help much, though, with forecasts calling for levels to be 10-40% of average.

The reservoir water depends on mountain snowpack levels, which were already low before they took a nosedive melting in statewide record-breaking heat last month. Statewide, snowpack levels range from 12-40% of normal.

Snowpack levels in Colorado amid 2026 drought as of April 7. (USDA National Resources Conservation Service)
Black line shows snowpack levels for 2026 below the minimum recorded for the state. (National Resources Conservation Service)
Snow has melted off the west facing side of the mountains on Loveland Pass on the west side of the Continental Divide on April 5, 2026. A sign of the early snow melt, low snowpack and warm temps this year. (Denver Water)
Dillon Reservoir on April 5, 2026 amid historic drought conditions in Colorado. (Denver Water)
Record low snowpack in Summit County east of Keystone on March 21, 2026. Snowpack 65%. This is snow along the Snake River, mostly melted out. This is at 9,600 feet (Denver Water)
This photo shows the rapid snowmelt in Summit County. On February 25, Denver Water crews measured the snowpack east of Keystone. The snowpack was at a near record low in February, and when they returned on March 27, to measure the snow, it had all melted away due to unseasonably warm weather. This is at an elevation around 9,600 feet above sea level. The snowpack typically peaks on April 23 in this area. (Denver Water)
Snowpack comparison between 2019 and 2026 in Summit County from March. Photos are Dillon Reservoir, Dillon HQ and Snake River east of Keystone. 2019 snowpack for the date was 147% compared to 65% for 2019. (Denver Water)
March 21, 2026. 76% capacity before runoff. Average for this date is 86%. Note how think the ice is due to lack of snow and record warm temps. (Denver Water)
Frisco Marina on March 9, 2026. Dillon Reservoir 76% full. Boat ramp and docks not expected to be accessible this year due to low water. (Denver Water)

Water conservation urged amid drought

The board last month declared Stage 1 drought, implementing a mandatory schedule to limit outdoor water use. Violators could face fines of $250 or more. The goal, Denver Water said, is to see a 20% decrease in water use.

Denver Water said that customers need to conserve water to protect the supply that there is now.

Ways to conserve water at home:

Denver Water offers some simple strategies to save water, including:

The provider said customers will need to follow its annual summer outdoor watering rules:

Use a hose nozzle with a shut-off valve when washing your car
Water only during cooler times of the day, between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.
Do not allow water to pool in gutters, streets and alleys
Do not waste water by letting it spray on concrete and asphalt
Repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days
Do not irrigate while it is raining or during high winds

Experts say impacts like water restrictions and increased pricing are some of the few outcomes that were expected, as snowpack levels being so low and peaking so early is unprecedented. April could bring some snow to the high country but is not expected to be significant in Denver.

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